Automatic dump-bucket for hoisting and conveying machine



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

1 v A. E. BROWN. I AUTOMATIC DUMP BUCKET FOR HOISTING AND G ONVEYING MACHINES.

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(No Mod,e1,)' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. BROWN. AUTOMATIC DUMB BUCKET FORHOISTING AND CONVEYING MACHINES. N0.'314,101. Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

' WEST I I ,I VEN R.

W1K r Umrnn STATES A'rENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER E. BROWN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.-

AUTOMATIC DUMP-BUCKET FOR HOISTING AND CONVEYING MACHINEF.

.fIiPEC'IPICATIOIT forming part of Letters Patent No.314,101, dated Dial-ch 1'7, 1885. Application filed January 2, 1885. (No inolel.)

To all whom 1'! may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E. BROWN,

' of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Dump- Buckets for Hoisting and Conveying Hachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the buckets usually employed in hoisting and conveying machines for handling coal, ore, &c., and has for its main object to provide for use a bucket of this class which, while it shall possess allthecharacteristic ingredients of construction necessary to the best operation of the bucket in loading, dumping, or reloading, shall possess in a greater degree lightness, strength, and durability than any bucket heretofore made for the same purposes, so far as my knowledge on the subject extends.

To these main ends and objects my invention consists in thenovel features of construction, which will be found hereinafter explained, and which will be more particularly defined or pointed out in the claims of this specification.

To enable those skilled in theart to which my improvementsirelate to make and use automatically dumping buckets containing either wholly or partially the subject-matter of my invention, l will'now proceed to more fully describe the latter, referring by letters of reference .to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which I have illustrated the several parts of my invention carried out in those forms in which I have so far successfully practiced them, and which involve at the present time the best practicalembodiment of my invention known to me. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view or elevation of my improved bucket. Fig. 2 is a front view or elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic-a1 side view showing the construction lines for obtaining the difi'erent curves forming the contour of the bucket in side view. Fig. 4 is a partial vertical crosssection, (on an enlarged scale,') showing more particularly the combined arrangement of the bottom piece of the bucket with one of its side pieces. Fig. 5 is a detail or partial side view on the same scale, better showing the construction and arrangement of the rear casterwheel and its supporting-stand. Fig. 6 is a partial back view, on thesame scale, of whatis shown at Fig. 6. Fig. 7 is a detail section at the line y 3 of Fig. 1, showing more particularly the shape of the bail-stop for regulating the swing of the bucket in dumping. Fig. 8 is a partial side view on the same scale, showing one of the forward caster-wheels and the malleable-iron housing in which it is mounted, and which is riveted or bolted to the bottom plate or portion of the bucket. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of what is shown in elevation at Fig. 9. Fig. 10 is a vertical section at the line a z of Fig. 9.

In the several figures the same part will be found designated by the same letter of reference.

The bucket is composed,as usual, of plateiron or sheet metal, and is formed, essentially, of two side pieces, A A, and a single piece, 13, constituting the curved bottom and ascending front and rear sides or portions of the receptacle. Each of the sides pieces, A, has its edge turned or curved inwardly on a quarter circle, as seen at 0 throughout that portion which comes adjacent to and is combined with the continuous bottom and side plate, B, and where itsinwardly-turned edge overlaps the adjacent edge of said plate portion B each one of said pieces is securely riveted or otherwise fastened to one of the edges of curved bottom and side plate, 13, all as clearly shown. The upper edge of the receptacle thus formed by the union of the two sides A A and the single piece or plate B that constitutes the front and rear portions and bottom of the bucket is bound, so'to speak, by a bar-iron band, f", securely riveted, as shown, to the sheet-metal upper edge of the bucket, while near the middle portion of side A of the bucket are arranged parallel to each other two substantially vertical angle-iron bars or ribs, ff, which are in like manner securely riveted in place. Between these stiflening irons or bars ff, on each side of the bucket,

is pivotally attached (at at) one of the ends of the handle or bail O of the bucket. This bail an upwardly-projecting ring or hook-eye, D, (to engage with the hook of an ordinary hoisting and conveying machine,) and has combined with it the usual or most approved devices or appliances for effecting, in a manner well known, the locking and unlocking of the bucket to the bail.

G is the usual handle at the rear portion of the bucket, for conveniently swinging the latter, as it may be handled by the operatives in descending into a mine, vessel, or other place.

j are the usual stops or lugs, against which the forward portion of the handle 0 bears on each side of the bucket when the latter and the bail are locked together, while atz' are shown the stop-lugs,which come to a bearing on the back side of the bail or handle 0 when the bucket is tipped to discharge its load or contents.

1) b are two casters or wheels, which, as shown, are mounted so as to have their axles I) turn freely within bearings or boxes formed in malleable-iron housings 71, that are partially let into and that are securely riveted to the bottom plate,B, of the bucket, near either side of the latter, and in about the locations relative to the lowermost part of the bucket-bob tom shown in the drawings, while a is a rear wheel or caster turning upon a stud or axle, c mounted in wrought-iron standards a cf,

securely riveted to the plate B of the bucket about midway of the width of the latter, and some distance in the rear of the lowest point of the bucket-bottom, all as clearly shown. On the said plate 13, nearly or about midway (lengthwise of said plate) between the locality of the wheels Z) Z) and the upper front edge of the bucket, is mounted to turn freely in a metallic stand, 0 riveted to the plate B, a small roller or caster-wheel, c.

I am aware that in prior constructions caster-wheels substantially such as shown at b I) haye been applied in some manner to the bucket and arranged to work partially within indentations or depressions formed in the stock of the bucket; but such construction dil fers from mine in the particular that I employ separate housings l1, preferably of malleable iron, which are fitted within openings in the body of the bucket, and which are provided with flanged portions that are securely riveted to the stock of the bucket, as shown and described. I am also aware that a caster-wheel such as shown ata a has been mounted within a suitable stand riveted to the body of the bucket, and operating in conjunction with said stand, very much after the fashion of a furniture-caster; but such previous constructions should not be confounded with that shown and described by me, in which said caster-wheel is mounted to turn on a horizontal axle supported by a duplex wrought-iron standard such as shown and described, and by which great strength and durability are attained with comparative lightness in the entire structure.

In the improved bucket so far described,and shown in the drawings, the'outline or shape of the bottomand forward and rear portions composed of the continuous plate B is about the same shape (with the exception of the small upper portion of the rear side of the bucket) as would be assumed by a flexible sheet of material supported at its forward and rear ends, and subjected throughout its length to the varying degrees of strain or pressure which would correspond to the variable pressure of the load of the bucket shown through out a series of parallel planes arranged vertically and successively from the forward edge of the bucket to its rearmost portion. This form in the construction of the bucket is, it will be seen, best adapted to withstand the vertical strain of the load carried by it with out any distortion of the bucketbottom from its original shape. At the same time this contour, together with a proper arrangement of the pivotal points at at, (slightly in rear of the center of gravity of the loaded bucket,) enables me to accomplish the best results with reference both to the automatic descent of the forward edge of the bucket (when the latter shall have been disengaged from the handle) for the purpose of dt'nnping its contents, and also for easily righting the bucket for re-engagement with the bail or handle in a loaded condition, either when the bucket may be empty or after it shall have been partially filled,while resting upon the wheels 1) band a.

The bar iron binding f not only gives strength and rigidity to the entire upper edge of the sheet metal, but(acting as a cross-brace or stiffener to the front upper edge of the bucket) prevents the upper frontportion ot'the plate 13 from being affected by the tendency of the load to bulge it outwardly near its middle.

The parallel vertically-arranged angle-irons ff, arranged on either side of the bucket, give the proper support and strength to the middle portions of the two side plates, A A, which, without this kind of re-ent'orceuient, might eventually become outwardly bulged by the pressure of the contained load.

The contour of the bottom of the side portions of the bucket in side view is such, it will be understood, that from the point x (see Fig.

3) down to the point 3 the curvature is in the nature of aparabola, and from there up to the point Z is part of a perfect circle. The point yis located about one thirty-second of the circumference of a circle (corresponding to the rearmost part of the bucket) in rear of a verrtieal line dropped from the center of said circle and intersecting the bottom curve of the bucket, while the shape of the top edge of the bucket is the curve of a circle the center of which is at the point 5, said point being determined in laying out the diagram seen at Fig. 3 by drawing a line. from the point 00 to the point t (which is one-fourth of the way down on the construction circle from its highest point) and bisecting said line with one which intersects the line 8 at the point 3. This contour or shape of the upper edge of the bucket I find to be the most desirable, as best corresponding with the natural curvature of the top of a heap of anthracite coal filled into the bucket. The shape of the bucket from the point so down to near the lowermost part of the bottom is, it will be seen, so nearly a plane that when the bucket shall be turned down onto, so as to rest and move on, the wheels b b and c, the point 90,0r front edge of the bucket.will be as lowdown as it is practically possible to get it, and will thus be in the best possible position to facilitate the usual operation of forcing the front edge of the bucket into a heap of coal or other material banked in a vessel or other. place, and the shoveling or scooping into the bucket While in this position of-a large portion of the intended load or filling. At the same time the general shape of the bucket is such that after having been thus nearly filled it may be easily tipped or righted into the position seen in the drawings for the purpose of locking in a position for hoisting and con veying and (if necessary)'finishing the charging of the bucket.

The wheels I) b, which have to be partially let into the.bucket,I have arranged,as shown, with a stationary axle, b turning Within the oblique portions of a malleable cast housing, h, and in order to give strength, rigidity. and durability to the upper curved portion of this housing, that is necessarily subject to the pounding of the material shoveled or otherwise filled into the bucket, I have formed the top curved surface of said housing with series of ribs 1 2 3, (see Figs. 9 and 11,) against which the chunks or lumps of coal or other material will strike, and which will withstand greater shock and wear than would a plane surface exposed to such effects.

The hind caster-wheel or roller, a, of the bucket,which has to be arranged wholly outside of the contour of the bottom portion of the receptacle, and which, therefore, has to project beyond the plate B to such an extent as tobe liableto chance severeknocks or strains during the handling or working of the'bucket, I have arranged differently and mounted to turn freely upon a stationary axle, a which passes through a tubular bearing extending from one to the other of two wrought-iron stands, a a, which are securely riveted to the plate B of the bucket, and which are tied together near their lower ends by the said shaft or stud a (See Figs. 6 and 7.) These wrought-metal stands a are formed, it will be seen,with lateral flangelike edge portions,so as to be extremely light, and at the same time afford a strong support for the wheel a, and embrace to an eminent degree the capacity to withstand severe shocks or strains, resulting either from the striking of the wheel or either one of the stands against any obstructions during either the ascent or descent of the bucket. The relative positions of the wheels b b and a to the bucket and its load are such, it will be seen, that when said wheelsare resting upon a plane surface the bucket will be supported in substantially the position which it must naturally-assume when suspended in a loaded condition by the bail or handle G.

As heretofore usually made, the stop devices located at i on either side of the bucket, and intended to act 011 the back side of the bail when the bucket dumps, have been very liable to breakage and derangement, and have also operated to seriously jar and impede the bucket when descending by striking against obstruct-ions, either in lowering the buckets into the holds of vessels or into mines; and to overcome this difficulty in the construction heretofore employed I have made these stops in a new andimproved form, and so,that while a flat surface is presented by them where they come into contact with the back side of the bail or handle 0, they present a tapering surface throughout the rest of theircontour, such that in the event of coming against any obstruction during the descent of the bucket they will sheer or glance off easily from such obstruction without any injurious shock to either themselves or any other part of the bucket structure. This peculiar and advantageous structure or formation of these stop devices is clearly shown at Figs. 1 and 8 of the drawings, and is considered by me an important and useful feature of my invention.

When the fact is taken into consideration (which is well known to those skilled in the art) that these hoisting and conveying buckets usually weigh about eight hundred pounds for a bucket capable of containing one ton of soft coal, the practical importance of every feature of construction by which the entire contrivance may be both lightened and at the same time rendered strong, durable, rigid,and capable of withstanding the wear and tear to which it must be necessarily subjected will be readily appreciated.

Of course,.some of the novel features of construction in my improved contrivance may be employed with more or less advantage without embodying all the features of my invention in the same apparatus. I therefore wish it to be understood that I desire to cover sep-- arately as well as collectively all the improved points shown and described in my novel construction of bucket.

Having now so fully explained my invention that those skilled in the art can make and use it, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bucket for hoisting and conveying machines, composed of two vertical sides or portions, A A, and a single plate-like portion, B, the contour or shape of the bucket in side view being such, as described, as to present from its upper front edge to a point slightly in rearof the lowermost part of the bottom a substantially parabolic curve, and from thence rearwardly and upwardly tojthe back edge a substantially circular curve, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a bucket for hoisting and conveying machines, the top opening of which is substantially rectangular in plan or top View, and which has substantially straight front and rear top edges, the format-ion of the edges of the two sides A A in arcs of circles, such as hereinbel'ore specified, as will substantially conform to the natural curvature of a load of fine material or small anthracite coal.

3. A hoist-bucket composed of two parallel side pieces, the lowermost edge of each of which lies in a continuous curve, and both of which have their said curved edges turned inwardly at angles of ninety degrees to the planes of said side pieces, and a third plate-like piece, B, bent to conform to the curves of said inwardly-bent portions of the side pieces and secured thereto, all substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the bucket composed of side portions, A A, and a front, rear, and bottom portion, B, the wheels I) b, and centrally-arranged wheel a, the combination be ing such, as described, that the three wheels I) b and a will support the bucket when resting on a level surface in substantially the position which the bucket assumes when suspended by its bail or handle.

5. In combination with the bucket or recep tacle propena set of wheels, I) b, journaled in and turning within housings h 71, that are securely riveted to the portion B of the bucket,

all substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

6. In combination with the bucket proper, wrought-metal stands a, made with wide side stiffening-flanges, and the hind wheel or caster, a, mounted between said stands, as specified, the whole arranged and operating in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

7. In combination with a dumping-bucket, stops 2', formed with flat surfaces adapted for contact with the back side of the handle or bail of the bucket, and with an inclined or tapering surface adapted to sheer or glance ofi' from any obstruction during the descent of the bucket, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

8. In combination with the cast-metal housing h, which projecis or protrudes inwardly into the load-space of the bucket or receptacle, ribs 1 2 3, or strengthening projections adapted to receive the shocks and blows of the material shoveled into the bucket and prevent any injurious effect which might otherwise be produced upon the exposed surface of said housing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my 55 hand this 1st day of December, 1884.

ALEXANDER E. BROWN. In presence of- GoTTLIEB GENDER, E. T. SoovILL. 

